


Lizzie's Secret

by sword_lily



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-30 13:21:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3938326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sword_lily/pseuds/sword_lily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a possible one night stand, Lizzie finds her life changed forever, with far reaching consequences for herself, for Red, and for...?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Next Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Not my characters. Just my imagination.

“The walk of shame...all the way to the FBI,” agent Elizabeth Keen said, mortified, as she prepared to enter the building. She hoped no one would notice that she was wearing the exact same clothes she had on yesterday. She wore variations of basic black and grey, so maybe that wasn’t too much to hope for?

Lizzie entered with her head slightly down, walking as quickly as she could. She wanted to be invisible, at least until business got underway and people would have other things to distract them.

“Cute blouse,” Samar Navabi said, raising one eyebrow as Lizzie walked past. Damn. She knew.

“Oh, thanks,” Lizzie said, blushing. “Alarm didn’t go off this morning, so I had to do a repeat!” She was trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. Even if Samar knew what had gone down, she was grateful that she wouldn’t guess who it had gone down with.

“Keen, you okay? You look exhausted,” Ressler said, barely giving her a second glance, “You really oughta consider moving out of that roach motel. You need a decent mattress. I’ve got a friend who’s a real estate agent - I can give you his card,” he said. Of course Ressler was oblivious, she thought. Thank God for that.

“Yeah, the mattress is pretty terrible. Thanks,” she said, accepting the business card. She’d spent the night on one of the best mattresses she’d ever experienced. The problem was clearly not the quality of the sleep...it was the lack of it.

Alone in her office, Lizzie laid her head in her palms. What had she done? She wasn’t even sure she remembered everything.

She and Red had just sealed the fate of another Blacklister, and he’d taken her out for dinner and dancing to celebrate. He’d bought a bottle of expensive champagne, and then another...how much did she have? Her pounding headache answered her back. Too much. Red had to help her into the backseat of his car as Dembe drove them to the hotel. She remembered going inside...remembered leaning in and kissing him. He’d pushed her away, hurting her feelings, but she persisted. And then…

She wasn’t clear about much, but she thought she remembered clothes coming off, a tangle of arms and legs, a rush of emotion…

Then nothing. She woke up to an empty hotel room. Could he have dropped her off at the door - paid for a hotel room for her to sleep it off - and then left? The sheets were a mess...but that wasn’t unusual for her. She’d gotten used to sleeping alone, and it was nothing for her to take up the full space. When she dressed and exited the room, Dembe had been waiting for her.

“Mr. Reddington has asked me to drive you to work.” Did that mean Red had been there...or not?

She didn’t dare ask Dembe what had happened the previous night - it was too embarrassing. She rode with him in silence all the way to work.

Just then came a knock at her door. She didn’t even have time to think “Go away” or say “Just a moment,” before Red himself came waltzing into the room. He seemed calm, confident. Had she imagined their encounter the night before?

“Agent Keen, good morning! I trust you’re feeling alright?” he said. “Just in case, I took the liberty of bringing you a little something.” He placed a cup of coffee, two ibuprofen, a bottle of water, and a biscuit from her favorite breakfast stop on the table, “Always helps me.”

She couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling. She sensed there was some teasing there, but was it teasing because she’d embarrassed herself, or because they’d done what she thought they’d done?

“Thanks,” she said, eagerly reaching for the ibuprofen. “Why are you here?” she said, a little more harshly than she’d intended.

“I see,” Red said, bristling, “Well, it just so happens I have another case for you.”

Red spent the next several minutes outlining the new Blacklister for Lizzie, and she spent the next several minutes trying hard to pay attention. Her mind kept fighting a battle against itself, trying to figure out what on earth he was thinking - trying to decipher his every word, gesture, expression. But, as usual, he was hard to decode.

“I’ve got some business to attend to, so I’ll leave you to your FBI-ing now. Lizzie, are you sure you’re alright? You look...disoriented.”

“Just the headache. I’ll be fine. Thanks for the gifts,” she said, gesturing to the items he’d brought.

“Lizzie, if you need anything - anything at all - please let me know,” he said, still looking concerned. She smiled, he nodded, and then he left.

If he shared any of her feelings - or confusion - about the previous night, he wasn’t letting on. For him, it was just business as usual. Maybe that was all she was to him...business, a means to an end. She hated to think it could be true, but how else was she to interpret this, if they had indeed slept together?

And if they hadn’t...then what were those memories? Dreams? Wishful thinking? She blushed at the thought. Was she really so pathetic that she had to imagine sleeping with Red? She only hoped he had no idea how pathetic she felt right now.


	2. Is this reality?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Could it be...? Surely Samar was wrong.

Weeks had passed since that blur of an evening, and Lizzie still didn’t have any answers. Samar had teased her a few times about the blouse, but Lizzie deflected the teasing and merely laughed it off. Her secret - if it really was one - was safe. Ressler still didn’t understand why Lizzie hadn’t called his real estate agent buddy, but he’d long ago given up trying to understand the decisions Lizzie made in her personal life. If she wanted to stay at a motel every night, it was no skin off his back.

Lizzie’s biggest problem at the moment was her sheer exhaustion. She could hardly make it through the day lately, and as much as she didn’t want to think about it, she wondered if maybe Ressler was right about the mattress. Still, she’d been through far more stressful times and had slept like a baby on that mattress.

It was a Tuesday morning, like any other, and she felt like she was dragging her feet as she went about her work. When Aram called everyone together to try his latest batch of cupcakes - carrot cake - Lizzie dutifully picked one up. As she opened her mouth to take a bite though, she dropped her plate on a nearby desk and ran to the trash can on the other side of the room. To her embarrassment, she threw up in front of everyone.

Ressler and Samar looked at each other, then at Aram, who was mortified. “Guys I swear I tasted them last night...they were fine...Liz, I’m so sorry!”

“No, no, Aram, I’m sure they’re amazing. It’s me - this stomach bug I picked up. It’s my fault,” she said, coughing and drinking water.

Over the next two weeks, Lizzie found herself racing to a trashcan almost every day, though fortunately she was able to avoid doing it directly front of her coworkers. The women’s restroom wasn’t too far from her office, and only once or twice did she think Samar might have heard her. She hoped she was wrong.

Then, one morning, she walked into her office to find a small brown paper bag. Red was the only one who ever left her presents, but this wasn’t his style - he liked the be there for the delivery.

She looked around and then cautiously opened the bag. Inside was a multipack of pregnancy tests.

Samar knocked at the door, which was open, and walked in. “Please don’t be offended. I just thought maybe...maybe this would give you some answers.”

“Answers?”

“Elizabeth, surely you’ve been wondering if…”

“God,” Lizzie practically slammed her forehead onto the desk. “I’ve been so wrapped up in work - Samar, it didn’t even occur to me.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to upset you. If you need anything…”

“Thanks,” Lizzie said. Samar left and closed the door behind her.

“Crap, crap, crap, crap,” Lizzie said aloud, her head back on the desk. It couldn’t be true. She’d all but convinced herself that her memories of that one night so many weeks ago were just pathetic wishful thinking. She’d kept Red at arm’s length since then, turning down dinners or celebratory drinks.

She knew she needed to muster the strength and just take the damn test, but the consequences of the results...she couldn’t even consider it.

“Another rough morning, Agent Keen?” came Red’s voice.

She looked up, quickly throwing the brown bag in a desk drawer.

“Just tired,” she said.

“Right. Well, after our success yesterday, I thought I might be able to persuade you to grabbing a coffee with me, seeing as how you’ve turned down fancy dinners from me lately,” he said. She thought she detected a note of hurt in his voice.

“I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”

“So I hear. Aram said you’re not even tempted by his baking. The man is a genius with a little batter and some icing! Those lemon and lavender cupcakes? Oh! Divine!”

The food...stop talking about the food…

Lizzie reached over and threw up in her desk trash can. Her humiliation was complete. She’d now vomited in front of Raymond Reddington, man of her sexual fantasies...or maybe realities? She still wasn’t sure.

Of course, after seeing her do that, she figured she didn’t have to worry about any of those fantasies coming true again.

“Oh my,” Red said. “I hope it wasn’t something I said. I really thought you used to like his baking. Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine. Just a stomach bug.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Call me if you need a ride to the doctor, Lizzie...I’m concerned.”

Red left, and as he walked away, she could see him reaching for his cell phone. She saw his mouth form the word “Dembe,” and hoped that he wasn’t going to start prying into her business. The last thing she needed were questions from him when she hadn’t even figured out what was going on for herself.

Lizzie waited until Red had exited the building and then made her way to the women’s restroom. She took one of the tests...and waited.


	3. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie must come to terms with her results. How does she tell Red...or does she?

Positive.

Lizzie thought she might scream. Or pass out. How did this happen? How could she have let this happen?

The rest of the day and night were a blur.

The next morning, she took another test. Positive.

The following morning, another one. Positive.

She repeated this every morning until she’d exhausted the entire set Samar had left for her. All positive. She had to make an appointment with her doctor.

Of course, slipping off to the doctor wasn’t easy. Her coworkers were paying a lot of attention to her behavior lately, not to mention the fact that she was pretty sure Red always had someone watching her. She’d have to make it look natural - part of a case or something.

“Excuse me, sir?” Lizzie said, entering Cooper’s office.

“Yes?”

“I’ve just found out that one of the women in our case may have been pregnant. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to head over to the doctor’s and ask a few questions - see if they know who the father might have been.”

“Sounds good. Take Ressler with you.”

“Well, that’s just it sir - the doctor she was seeing specializes in treating women who become pregnant through...less than desirable circumstances. They’ve been traumatized by men, sir, and I’m worried that bringing Ressler might...”

“I see. Go alone then, but I want a full report when you get back. And if your phone rings, you’d better answer it,” Cooper barked. He respected Agent Keen, but things often went awry when she went on an assignment alone.

“Understood, sir.”

That was easier than she thought. Now she just had to be sure everything looked like business to anyone Red might have watching her.

As she made her way to the doctor’s office, she stopped to talk to other low-level informants and made sure she was visible as she made some work calls. She wanted it to look like she was following leads.

Finally, she was there, in the exam room, waiting on her results.

“Congratulations, Ms. Scarlet!” the doctor exclaimed to Elizabeth. She’d used the first alias that came to mind, “You’re eight weeks pregnant!”

Even though deep down she expected this, the shock of hearing it out loud from a real doctor was enough to make her dizzy.

“Ms. Scarlet? Ms. Scarlet?” the doctor and nurse rushed to revive her.

“Sorry...must be the pregnancy.”

“Happens all the time,” the nurse said reassuringly. “Is there anyone to drive you home?”

“No,” Lizzie said, the reality of her situation sinking in, “It’s...it’s just me.”

 

 

Lizzie called in sick for the rest of the afternoon, which wasn’t a huge shock to Cooper. She couldn’t seem to kick whatever bug she had, and though he was irritated, he’d rather have her rested and on top of her game than sick and missing important information.

Still feeling woozy, she’d taken a cab home to her motel. Once she shut the door behind her, she sank to the floor against it. She stayed there for a full thirty minutes without much of anything passing through her brain.

“So this is what shock feels like,” she finally said aloud. Two months pregnant. Two months since that hazy romp with Red. Two months and she hadn’t even noticed she’d missed her period.

She was an expert profiler - it was embarrassing, really. She was so caught up in whatever had or hadn’t happened with Red - with analyzing his every word, and his every omission of other words - that she’d missed the huge changes going on in her body. Had her life become so tumultuous that things had to be life threatening in order to get her undivided attention?

In addition to being an expert profiler, Lizzie considered herself an expert planner, which made her all the more angry - yet again, her life was not going according to any sort of plan.

“Time for a new plan,” she said. But what would that plan look like?

She’d always wanted to be a mother, but this wasn’t how she had thought it would happen. And she certainly had never imagined it with Red.

Red. God, what would he think. How would he feel? How would she tell him?

Would she tell him? Should she tell him?

The questions made her feel dizzy all over again.

Another thirty minutes later she got up and found the number for her favorite Thai place. As she waited for her food, she showered and changed. She wanted the feel of soft yoga pants and matching hoodie against her skin. She needed comfort, and right now she felt that was the only place she could turn.

She had just closed the door and placed the food on her little table when a knock came again. The delivery guy must have forgotten something, she thought, opening the door without checking through the peephole.

“Red!” she exclaimed. She hadn’t expected this.

“May I come in?”

Flustered, she couldn’t think of an excuse. She stood back and allowed him to pass into the room. They sat down across from each other at the table.

“Thai?” Lizzie offered. Red declined.

“Lizzie, what went wrong?”

He knew. How the hell did he know when she herself only just found out?

“You drove to a doctor’s office but left in a cab. You didn’t go to work. Something went wrong. Tell me what happened.”

“Just routine investigation. I felt sick while I was questioning the doctor - sometimes the smell of a doctor’s office does that to me. Just to be safe, I took a cab home. No big deal.”

“And yet you took the afternoon off.”

“Yes. Is that a crime?”

“No, but it’s not something you’ve done. Ever.”

“Well, I decided I earned a break. What is it to you?”

“There’s something you’re not telling me. Did someone hurt you?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know.

“No, Red. Listen, I’m fine. I’ve been a little off lately, and I thought I could use an afternoon to myself. I know my place isn’t the Plaza, but it’s relaxing for me,” she said.

“If there’s something you’re not telling me...something I can help you with…I want to do it, Lizzie. You know that whatever it is, I’m here,” he said.

The honesty in his eyes, the caring sound of his deep voice...it was all she could do not to run to his arms and break down sobbing. She wanted him to tell her it was okay - that he could help. But she knew she wasn’t ready to talk. She didn’t know what she thought, and she had no idea how he might react to such a shock.

Above all, she had someone else to think about now - this tiny baby, for now growing safely inside her. What would this world hold for him or her, the child of notorious criminal Raymond Reddington?


	4. Lizzie's Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie decides how to handle her secret, despite the consequences it may bring.

The next few weeks of Lizzie’s pregnancy passed as a blur. She had a list of questions a mile long and not a single answer.

What would her coworkers think? At least they didn’t know Red was the father. An FBI agent, pregnant with a child fathered by one of their most wanted? It could end her career if the right people found out.

Was she capable of raising a child alone? She was strong, but her life was so complicated. Still, Sam had done a fantastic job with her. She could only hope to be that kind of wonderful parent to her baby.

Even more pressing - what would Red think?

Would he be thrilled that he was having a child with her? He was always telling her how amazing she was, and how she should wait to have a child with the right man. Couldn’t he be that right man? The connection she felt between them had grown increasingly hard to deny.

Or...would he run? She was a profiler, and she knew the territory. This was a highly likely scenario. Red avoided vulnerabilities like the plague. He’d abandoned one family to turn to a life of crime...what would would he do now? She felt tears in her eyes at the very idea of that particular possibility.

And, above all else - even above what Red himself might think - what if the world knew? She and her baby would be sitting ducks - a target to be used by a long, long list of men and women who had a score to settle with Raymond Reddington. No.

No. That was not an option. This baby was all that mattered, and she wasn’t going to let Raymond Reddington or anyone else know who it’s father was. When the time came, she’d refuse to answer any questions about the baby’s father, and the world could just deal with that.

She felt some satisfaction over reaching a decision. At least with a decision, she could move forward. So then why did she feel so lost...and sad?

Then she realized, it was the thought of keeping the baby’s paternity a secret that was sitting like a lump in her stomach and throat. Hadn’t she been fighting this fight her entire life? The fight to know who her real parents were? Who was she to put the same curse on her own child?

The irony was not lost on Elizabeth Keen.

And yet, she felt now as if she understood a little bit more about Raymond Reddington. She’d do anything she could to protect the one person she loved more than anything else in this world. She’d burn her career and everything else down if she had to.


	5. Admission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie must finally tell Cooper and Red her secret...or part of it, at least.

Lizzie had been able to move forward, confident in her decision to hide her child’s paternity. She knew the trouble it would cause the baby as it grew older, but she had to make a decision based on making sure the child lived to see the day when those issues would matter. If she let people know the truth, those days might never come for her child.

The day when people would notice her pregnancy, however would come sooner for her. Her cardigans, baggy sweaters, and swingy coats could only hide her swelling belly for so long.

“Elizabeth,” Samar said, entering Lizzie’s office, “How are you?” The look on her face was kind but concerned, and Lizzie knew the time had come. She couldn’t duck the issue any longer.

She let out a long sigh.

“I don’t know. Samar, there are so many things I don’t know.”

“I’m going to ask, but please understand you don’t need to answer. Have you told the father?”

“No...this baby...the world...no one needs to know. It’s better we do this on our own.”

“I understand. My father was a drunk, and my mother chose to leave him when I was young. I never knew him. It was hard at times, but I know why my mother did it. She was a strong woman - just like you.”

Lizzie smiled. “Thanks, Samar. I just hope this little one feels the same way about me one day.” Lizzie rubbed her belly. “So...I guess everyone has noticed?”

“I think so,” Samar said quietly. “They’re just too afraid to ask. They know you’ve been through so much.”

“Could you do me a favor?”

“Of course.”

“Tell them. Tell them I’m pregnant. Let them know that I’m doing it on my own. I just don’t think I can handle talking about it over and over again.”

“Absolutely. But Elizabeth, you’re going to have to tell Cooper yourself. And Reddington.”

Lizzie nodded. Those were the two conversations she couldn’t get out of, and the two she dreaded the most.

 

Later that day, Elizabeth knocked on Cooper’s door.

“Come in.”

“Sir...I need to tell you something.”

“So I hear.”

“I’m...pregnant.”

“Congratulations, Agent Keen. I’m happy for you. But I don’t need to tell you that this changes things for you here. As of today, you’re no longer to go into the field unless it’s basic questioning. It’s too much of a risk and too much of a liability to have you anywhere but here.”

“I understand, sir,” she said. She hated the idea of being confined to her office or coffee shops, but she knew there was no way around the rules - or her growing belly.

“I have to ask you one more question. The baby - is it Tom’s?” Cooper knew Tom was alive and dangerous, and he knew his team might be compromised if Tom had a reason to come back into her life.

“No, sir. That would be...impossible.” It was the most delicate way she could put it. Even the thought of sleeping with Tom made her sick.

“That’s a relief.”

“You have no idea.” Cooper also had no idea how much of a relief it was to her that he didn’t suspect the baby might be Red’s.

Well, that’s one down, Lizzie thought. One more to go.

 

When Lizzie got home, she picked up her phone and called Dembe.

“I need to talk to Red,” she said. “It’s urgent.”

“He’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” Dembe replied.

Lizzie tried to relax, but instead she found herself pacing the floor. She hadn’t seen Red in a few weeks - he’d been attending to “business,” as he called it - and he hadn’t seen the change in her appearance. She decided to sit down on the bed, holding a pillow over her stomach, until she could tell him.

When the knock came at the door, she simply said “Come in.” She’d left the door unlocked for him.

“Lizzie,” Red said, taking off his hat and coat, “I don’t need to tell you how risky it is to leave your door unlocked.” The disapproving shake of his head was only out of concern, she knew.

“Please sit,” she said.

“This must be serious,” Red said, furrowing his eyebrows at her. “Does it have anything to do with that pillow on your stomach?” Red tilted his head.

Dammit. Apparently he did know about her stomach.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I’m telling you now.”

“I’ll admit, I was hurt that I found out last week.That you don’t trust me.”

“You had someone following me? Watching me?” She could feel her blood boiling, but she wasn’t entirely surprised. She’d known Red long enough to know that he wasn’t beyond this sort of thing.

“You’ve been acting so strangely for so long. The last time I remember you acting this way…”

“Was because of Tom. Red, I don’t have Tom stashed in my closet,” she said.

“Is it his?”

“No. God, no.”

“I can tell you that is a relief.”

“I’m so glad for you.”

“And are you going to do me the honor of telling me who the father is?”

“The people who need to know, know.”

“I see. And so I assume I don’t need to know?”

“This is my business, Red.” She’d learned from the master how to answer questions without lying.

“Well, then. Do you need anything? Dembe has a list of the best doctors in the area. And Lizzie, you’ll need to finally find a better place to live. You can’t raise a baby here,” he said quietly.

Red stood up, and without another word, gathered his hat and coat. He was so abrupt - so detached - that if Lizzie hadn’t known better, she would swear she was having that conversation with someone else.

“Red, I’m sorry - I’m sorry I kept it from you.”

He turned his body slightly - just enough to look at her one last time - and she could see the pain on his face, in his eyes. He placed his hat on his head, and walked out of the apartment.

Alone on the bed, Lizzie cried. She cried for herself and how alone she was. She cried for Red, and how she’d hurt him by keeping secrets. And she cried for her baby, who would grow up without a father.


	6. Solace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red's thoughts on Lizzie's reveal.

Dembe and Red rode silently across town. Once inside Red’s hotel room, Dembe could sense Red still hadn’t relaxed. When Red was two cocktails into his evening, Dembe finally broached the subject. He could stand Red’s stewing and brooding no longer.

“Raymond,” he said, “Elizabeth will be fine. She will take good care of the baby. And I believe her. I don’t think it is Tom’s baby.”

“I don’t know what to believe, Dembe.”

“What is the question?”

“Dembe, she won’t tell me who the father is. What reason would she have for hiding it?”

“But Tom has not been in the country for some time. Mathematically, it cannot be his.”

“That I know. What I don’t know is whose it could be. That night Dembe...the time I asked you to drive her to work.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“And then the night she and Ressler shared a suite on assignment in Boston. There’s no telling what went on…” Red was sickened by the thought of Lizzie with another man, but he had to admit the possibility to himself.

“Do you think she would hide it if the father were Ressler, Raymond?”

“There are strict rules within the FBI. It could ruin her career to have a baby with another agent - one she works closely with. They might transfer her, or him, or both. It could mean an end to the task force. Lizzie takes her work seriously.”

Dembe retired to his room, leaving Red alone with his thoughts.

He’d resisted Lizzie that night, months ago - tried not to give into his love and longing for her - but she was, in the end, irresistible. He’d hated himself for it the next day. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her, so he’d left before she woke, leaving Dembe to make sure she had a ride and anything else she might need.

And then, when he’d gone to see her, she said...nothing. She acted as though it hadn’t happened. As though a hangover were all she took away from that evening. Maybe she’d regretted it, too, though for different reasons. Maybe she’d been disgusted with herself for sleeping with such a shell of a man - someone who kept secrets from her and brought little else but pain into her life. Could he really blame her?

Red took another sip of his drink and let out a long sigh. No matter how much pain it brought him to imagine Lizzie carrying another man’s baby, he could take solace in one fact, for their sakes. The baby wasn’t his. Lizzie and her baby had that going for them, at least.

He would never admit it to Dembe - or anyone else - but there had been a brief moment when he’d hoped...dreamed, even...that the baby might be his. The hope, though, was fleeting. He knew what could happen to a child of his. He’d seen that first hand.


	7. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red has a bone to pick with Ressler.

Lizzie’s morning sickness soon passed, and as the months went on she took on a glow that was unmistakable. Even through his pain, Red had to acknowledge that she was more beautiful than ever.

He was also furious that Ressler wasn’t taking a more active role in his child’s life. How could someone like Ressler, a man who prided himself on being one of America’s golden boys, just let a woman go through this alone. If it had been Red’s baby…

There was no use thinking that way, he told himself. No matter how many times he’d imagined the scenario, it wouldn’t make it true. And even if it were, what kind of father could he be? He never even slept in the same place more than once. People shot at him frequently, and once he’d taken a direct hit. That was no life for a child. Lizzie and the baby deserved far better than that.

Which again brought him to Ressler. What the hell was he doing?

“Dembe, I need you to make an appointment for me.”

 

That evening, Donald Ressler was sitting on his sofa, drinking a beer and eating pizza. He mostly kept to himself since Audrey’s death, and he wasn’t expecting company. Still, company came.

Reluctantly, he paused the game and got up off the couch. As he looked through the peephole, he saw Dembe’s face. Ressler rolled his eyes.

“Dembe, how can I help you?” he said as he opened the door, clearly displeased with the interruption, knowing that if Dembe were there, Red was there somewhere as well. Things were never fun when Raymond Reddington wanted to chat.

“Mr. Reddington would like to speak with you,” Dembe said, stepping aside for Red to walk into Ressler’s apartment, uninvited.

“Donald. Sit. We need to talk.”

“Reddington, if this is about work, we can talk about it at work. Right now my game is on.”

“It’s not about work. It’s about Elizabeth Keen.”

“Is she in trouble?”

“Ha! Is she in trouble? Dembe, did you hear that? They haven’t called it that since I was a boy. Rather old fashioned term, don’t you think, Donald?” Red said jovially.

“Reddington, what the hell are you talking about?” Ressler said, sighing and leaning back into the sofa. He wasn’t going to get back to the game any time soon.

“I’m talking about the fact that Elizabeth is pregnant.”

“And?”

“And you need to get your ass off this sofa and help her. Be a man Ressler! Be a man.”

“I’ve offered to drive her to doctor’s appointments, but she turns me down. What else do you want me to do? Go shopping with her for maternity clothes and diapers? Be her Lamaze coach?” Ressler said, laughing in disbelief.

Ressler’s dismissive tone pushed Red over the edge. The twitch was back beneath his eye - with a vengeance. He sprang across the space separating them and grabbed Ressler by the collar. Red’s face was inches from his, and it reminded Ressler of his training at Quantico all over again.

“Is this a joke to you, Agent Ressler? The woman is carrying your child - YOUR CHILD - and this is all one big joke?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Now who’s telling the jokes?”

Confused, Red released Ressler and stood up, but his feet stayed planted.

“Reddington, the baby’s not mine. I don’t know why in the hell you ever thought it was,” Ressler said, straightening his clothes and regaining his composure.

“The two of you...the night in Boston…”

“Boston? You mean months ago when we were on assignment?”

“You stayed in the same suite...I assumed you…”

“You were watching us that closely? You really are creepy Red. Yeah, we shared a suite...not a room. Certainly not a bed.”

Red turned and looked, baffled, at Dembe. He turned his gaze back to Ressler. “Well then, enjoy your game!” he said cheerfully.

As they exited Ressler’s apartment building, Dembe gave Red an “I told you so,” look. Red ignored it.

 

That night, Dembe sat, patiently waiting for Red to start talking.

“Dembe, I am more confused than ever. And honestly, a bit embarrassed.”

“Raymond, that would be understandable.”

“Oh, Dembe, not for the reason you think. I couldn’t possibly care less what Ressler thinks of my little outburst. I’m embarrassed that Lizzie slept with a man - had an intimate relationship with a man - and I never knew.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“What other explanation could there be? She said that everyone who needed to know, knew, and I obviously wasn’t included in that group. As much as I...well, at any rate, she made it clear the child isn’t mine. So now I have to wonder, who is the father, and why doesn’t he seem to be involved in the baby’s life? Dembe, could she have picked someone so horrible to become involved with? How can I protect her, or the baby, if I have no idea what I’m up against?”

“Perhaps you should talk to her, Raymond.”

They both sighed at each other.


	8. The Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie doesn't show up for her own baby shower; Red and the team are worried.

Only a month away from her due date, Lizzie was finishing the last touches on the nursery. Lizzie had finally moved out of the motel, and though she refused to let Red pay for a new apartment for her and the baby, she had allowed him to help her choose one. She’d picked a sweet little brownstone in a quiet neighborhood, and she’d even let Red select a security detail for her.

Besides, Aram had staged a sort of...intervention...at work for her, in which all of her coworkers surrounded her and told her she had to move out of the hotel before the baby was born. She couldn’t put it off any longer, and she knew everyone only wanted the best for her and the baby.

The old Lizzie would never have gone a security detail, especially one hand picked by Red, but the new Lizzie wanted all the safety she and the baby could get. Even though the world had no idea who her baby’s father was, she didn’t want to take any chances. The man and woman Red had picked posed as neighbors, living in the place next to hers. She called them “Sue” and “Rick,” but she had no idea what their names really were.

As Lizzie got ready for work one Thursday morning, she thought she heard the alarm chirp, alerting her that a door or window had been opened. Confused, she called out for Sue and Rick, but heard nothing. The weather was nice, and she’d left a few windows open to create a breeze. Maybe one of them slid, triggering the chime. She continued brushing her teeth.

When she leaned down to spit into the sink, she glanced up in the mirror. Looking back at her was the face of man. His evil sneer was almost enough to make her heart stop.

“Now, now, Ms. Keen. Don’t worry. You’re safe - we’re not going to harm you. We’re much more interested in your baby.”

 

That same morning, Red planned on confronting Lizzie again about the baby’s paternity, and this time he wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. If he was going to keep her safe, she was going to need to start talking.

As he walked in, however, he found himself surrounded by pastel balloons, more of Aram’s cupcakes, gifts wrapped in teddy bear gift bags, and something he’d heard was called a diaper cake. Perhaps this wasn’t the best time to start questioning her, after all.

“Was I left off the guest list?” Red said, feigning hurt.

“Mr. Reddington...we….we…” Aram almost studdered.

“Calm yourself, Agent Mojtabai. Baby showers aren’t really my thing anyway,” Red said.

“Reddington, where is Agent Keen?” Cooper said, stepping forward.

One look at Cooper’s face was all Red needed to know something terrible had happened.

“I was going to ask you the same question,” Red said, furrowing his brow. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. “Mind telling me why you have NO IDEA where a very important, very PREGNANT agent of yours is, Harold?” Red barked at Cooper.

“We were throwing her a baby shower this morning...she knew the time and location, obviously...but she never showed. It’s been three hours,” Samar said, stepping in between Reddington and Cooper, trying to diffuse the situation.

Ressler spoke up. “We went to her house, but she wasn’t there. No signs that she packed a bag. No signs of struggle. Honestly, we thought you must have pulled her away for something.”

“No. I did not.” Red said quickly. He reached for his phone. “Dembe, pull the car around.”

He looked at the group.

“Dembe will be in touch. If you hear anything - find out anything - tell him immediately.”

Red left the building, fear growing in the pit of his stomach.

 

Dembe sped across town, running red lights and taking corners faster than the car was meant to. In the back seat, Red was on the phone with every contact he had, trying to find out who had come after Lizzie. It wasn’t random. He knew that much.

Red and Dembe exited the car. Dembe took the front door to Lizzie’s house while Red circled around to the back. As Dembe walked through the house, he saw things exactly as Ressler had said they would be. No sign of a struggle, no mess. He walked out back, wondering what was taking Red so long.

In the alley, he found Red stooped over a body that was partially hidden behind a dumpster.

“It’s Rick. He was guarding the back door. He’s dead.”

Red struggled to swallow after speaking the words out loud. If Rick was dead, he knew Sue must be as well. His only comfort was that Lizzie’s body wasn’t there. It meant they took her...alive.

He and Dembe searched the house next door, and found Sue. Her throat was slit, and it looked as if she had been dragged. Normally, she watched Lizzie’s house from the front steps, where she pretended to read or tend to her tiny flower box.

Red stood in front of the two houses, looking up.

“Dembe. Get ahold of Ressler. See if there are any outside security cameras on this street. Whoever took Lizzie killed Rick and Sue. And Sue was first attacked outside. Someone may have seen it...or recorded it.”

Moments later, surveillance feeds from the street were sent to Red and Dembe.

“Kate, it’s me,” Red said, talking on his phone as Dembe once again sped through the busy city streets. “I need you to identify someone for me.”

Red sent Mr. Kaplan the faces of two men. One was new to him, but the other was all too familiar.

“I need to know who the man on the left is,” he said. “The man on the right I know all too well.”

“Who is it?” Mr. Kaplan asked. Her worried tone was unmistakable.

“Victor Gaona.”

“Columbia.”

“Yes. Columbia.”


	9. Columbia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie finds herself abroad and under the care of a trusting nurse named Anabel.

Lizzie must have fallen asleep on the plane. When she awoke, sunlight was streaming in through beautiful windows, and the smell of flowers wafted through the air.

As soon as she realized she wasn’t in a dream, she shot up from the bed. Or tried to. She found herself unable to take more than two steps from the bed. Her left arm was cuffed, and the other end of the chain was fastened securely to the head of the bed.

Lizzie looked around, trying desperately to find something to hack at the chain. There was a small wooden nightstand beside the bed. On it was a vase and a clear cup of water. Damn. The rest of the room was pleasant but free from furnishings.

Lizzie sat back down on the bed, trying to calm herself. She needed to be calm, and to think. She had to think her way out of here.

She had no idea where she was, or who took her. The man had an accent - South American maybe? Lizzie hadn’t worked a case that involved South America in months, and as far as she knew, the woman she’d put away in that case was cut off from any of her contacts. Who wanted her?

Then Lizzie remembered his words. He didn’t want her. He wanted her baby.

Just then, a young woman in a nursing uniform walked in.

“Good morning, Senora Keen. My name is Anabel. I’ll be your nurse.”

“Anabel...where am I?”

“You are at Senor Gaona’s house; you are in Columbia, Senora Keen.”

Anable went about taking Lizzie’s blood pressure, drawing blood, and asking her the same routine questions her doctor always asked her.

“Anabel, I appreciate your thoroughness, but wouldn’t I be much better off in a hospital. Or back home, with my own doctor?”

“Senora, I promise Mr. Gaona will provide you with the best care. He has spared no expense. We have all of the state of the art medical equipment and personnel to tend to you and your baby.” As Anabel spoke, however, Lizzie knew she didn’t believe in what she was doing. She could barely look at Lizzie.

Lizzie turned to face the young woman and grabbed her hand. Tears formed in her eyes, and the young woman finally looked back at her.

“Anabel...please! Please! What does he want with me - with my baby?” The tears welled up and over the rims of her eyes. They were now streaming down her face, and it was all Lizzie could do not to sob uncontrollably.

“I don’t know, Senora. I don’t know,” Anabel said sadly. She refilled Lizzie’s water glass and quietly left the room.

 

 

As the day wore on, Lizzie’s only contact was with Anabel. Occasionally she heard other voices in the hall outside her room, but when she called out to them, the voices hushed. Every two hours, Anabel came in to help her use the restroom. It was humiliating, but Anabel said she couldn’t take her to a real bathroom because she wasn’t allowed to untie her.

“Anabel, you’ve been so kind to me. Do you have any children of your own?”

“Oh yes, Senora. Two. A girl and a boy,” she said, beaming. Anabel was clearly a proud mother. Lizzie’s profiling skills told her that this would be useful information.

“Do you have any pictures?”

“Yes!” Anabel pulled a worn photo out of her bag and handed them to Lizzie.

“They’re beautiful,” Lizzie said warmly. “Do you have a husband?”

“No, Senora. No husband,” she said, suddenly sad. She looked at the floor, ashamed.

“Neither do I, Anabel. It’s just me and this little one.”

Anabel looked up, and Lizzie saw she was smiling again. This was her in with Anabel - her way to bond with her.

Anabel patted Lizzie’s hand. “You will be a good mother; I can sense these things.”

“I hope so. Is it hard for you - raising them by yourself?”

“Yes, sometimes. But Senor Gaona pays me very well. He even pays for my little Daniela to go to private school, and he says Javier can join her next year! He is very good to us.”

“That’s wonderful, Anabel. I hope my baby can have a life like that one day, too. I worry, though...I don’t know what Senor Gaona wants from my baby.”

“I don’t know, but he has always been kind to me. I cannot imagine him harming a child.”

Lizzie smiled, pretending to be reassured by Anabel’s words.

“The weather - it’s gotten warmer since I’ve been here.”

“Oh yes,” Anabel replied, “Much warmer.”

“I’m sweating so much... I was wondering, Anabel, do you think I could take a shower? A real shower - not a sponge bath?” Lizzie said, rubbing the back of her neck and her belly for emphasis, “It would feel soooooooo good, and I think it would help to have some hot water hit my back. It aches all the time now.”

“Oh, I remember those back aches!” Anabel said sympathetically. “Listen, I’m not supposed to untie you - it would cost me my job…”

“I swear I won’t run. I won’t even try. I just really want to take a shower. I promise.”

Anabel looked at the door. After a minute, she said “Okay. But only for ten minutes. Then I have to tie you back up.”

Anabel untied Lizzie and took her into the bathroom. She started the water for her and helped her into the stall.

“Anabel, do you have any extra towels? I’d like a second one for my hair, and maybe one to step onto when I get out. I’m really afraid of slipping.”

“Yes, but I’ll have to go to the linen closet downstairs…”

“Anabel, I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay. Please...I’ll be right back.”

As soon as she heard the door close, Lizzie ran back into the bedroom. She wasn’t going to break her promise to Anabel - she seemed sweet, and she didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. Besides, where would she run - a pregnant woman in the middle of nowhere in Columbia?

She rifled through Anabel’s things until she found her cell phone.

“Red! It’s me!” she exclaimed. “I don’t have much time!”


	10. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red learns Lizzie's secret, and receives a chilling message from Gaona.

After discovering Lizzie had been taken, Red and his people were working around the clock to find out everything they could. Who, what, where, when, why.

The who was easy. Surveillance cameras showed a man Red recognized, Rafael Gaona, younger brother of Carlos Gaona, Colombia’s largest weapons dealer. They supplied most of the cartels with the kind of firepower that would make the United States armed forces pay attention. Red had had dealings with the Gaona brothers several times during a stint in South America, and things didn’t end well. Of course, at that time there were three of them. Carlos Gaona blamed Red for the death of the oldest brother, Nicolas. Red and Nicolas had met at a supposedly secure location to discuss business when they were ambushed. Thanks to Dembe’s help, Red made it out alive. Nicolas was not so lucky. Carlos believed Red had betrayed Nicolas; Red knew someone on the inside of the Gaona operation had leaked the location of the meet. Carlos vowed revenge on Red, and though Red was confident in his ability to handle himself, he also knew it was safer to avoid Colombia altogether.

The what and when were also equally easy. There was a narrow window when Lizzie was taken. Red had checked in with “Rick” and “Sue” that morning around 4:00 a.m., and everything was fine. Lizzie failed to show at the office baby shower at 8:00 a.m.

As for where, Red knew she’d been taken from her home, and he suspected she was in Colombia. He had vowed never to return, but he knew he’d break that vow in an instant to save Lizzie. But first, he had to know why she was taken. Without knowing why, he couldn’t be sure of developing the best plan of attack.

But the why? What in the hell could Gaona possibly want with an FBI agent who was one month shy from her due date? Lizzie had nothing to do with the Gaona incident - it was years ago.

Nevertheless, Gaona was lethal, ruthless, and very well armed. Red’s fear for Lizzie’s safety grew with every passing minute.

“Raymond. This arrived,” Dembe said, looking concerned. He handed Red a large manilla envelope.

“Who left it?”

“A boy, about 12. He said a man paid him $20 to deliver it, no questions asked.”

A piece of paper was also inside the envelope, typed and printed on cheap paper - probably someone here in the city had received the photo and email with directions to print and deliver. Behind the paper were a series of photographs.

The note read:

“Mr. Reddington,

By now, I hope you have realized that your dear Agent Keen is gone. I’d always thought of you as the loyal family man, even throughout our quiet dealings, so imagine my surprise when I found that you only had two people watching your loved ones. I would never be so careless with the ones I love, but then again, I have always been the superior man.

Each day, I wake with new anger over how you betrayed my family, and especially my brother, Nicolas, may he rest in peace. I had hoped you would return to Colombia in order to face me like a man, but I see that you would rather hide in the U.S. like the coward you are.

Therefore, I have taken the liberty of obtaining your little family. I’ve decided that your little baby will be the perfect addition to my family. I will raise it as if it were my own, teaching them all the details of my business, as well as what it means to be the leader of such an important family. I’ll name it Nicolas if it is a boy. Maybe Nicole if it is a girl? I like keeping these things a surprise. Senora Keen may stay and nurse the child for the first year, if she likes. After that, I’m afraid I will no longer be able to employ her within my home, but don’t fear - she won’t be thrown out on the streets. I own enough brothels in nearby towns that I think I can find suitable placement for her. I’d hate to think of the mother of my heir left to beg; wouldn’t you?

Should you decide you don’t want your own flesh and blood raised to take on my legacy, or your current flavor of the month to end up working in one of my brothels, feel free to come to me. I’ll make you a simple trade. Your life for their futures.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Carlos.”

 

Looking at Red’s eyes as he read the letter, Dembe knew he didn’t even need to read the letter himself. It was bad, and they would most likely be travelling to Colombia within 24 hours. Normally they’d have time to prepare for such a dangerous trip, but with Lizzie and her child’s lives on the line, he knew Red would waste no time.

“Dembe...he’s holding Lizzie and her baby in exchange for me. He believes the baby to be...mine.” That last word...mine...was so deep and low that Dembe paused for a moment, unsure of what he’d just heard. Red’s expression was full of anger...and fear. He tried to swallow, but that word - mine - stuck in his throat.

What’s more, Red wondered, how did Carlos know about Lizzie?. How did he know Lizzie was pregnant...and why did he think the baby was his?

Red then went through the photos. The first were of Lizzie, sleeping in a bed. At least, he hoped she was asleep. Next to her was a newspaper from Colombia, dated that day. Behind those were photos of Lizzie entering and exiting her motel room on different days, and then her new place. Then photos of Red and Lizzie celebrating at dinner. Drinking champagne. Red helping a tipsy Lizzie into his car. Red walking her into the hotel. Red closing the door behind them as they walked into the room alone…

Carlos had been following him. And Lizzie.

Then, it struck him. He’d been following both of them...as much as possible. He knew who Lizzie had been with, and who she hadn’t…

The baby was his. The baby was Raymond Reddington’s.

In his shock, Red simply dropped the photos and letter on the ground. He walked out on the balcony and closed the door behind him. As Red pulled out a cigar and lit it, Dembe knew not to follow him. He picked up the photos and the letter, placed them back in the envelope, and gave Red his space. Space, that is, until the phone rang.

“Raymond, it’s her,” he said, opening the balcony door.

“Hello?” Red said, afraid of who might be on the other end.

“Red! It’s me!” Lizzie exclaimed. “I don’t have much time!”


	11. Phone Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red receives a desperate phone call from Lizzie.

Red had a million questions for her, but he knew he only had time for one.

“Where are you? Sweetheart - can you hear me - where are you?”

“Red! Oh god, Red, please help.”

“Lizzie, where are you? Who are you with?”

“A woman named Anabel - a nurse. She said I’m in Colombia.”

“Good, Lizzie, that’s good. Now tell me what you see. When you look around the room, tell me what you can see. Can you see out a window? Can you hear anything?”

“It’s quiet - I don’t hear any cars or traffic. Birds, though. Lots of birds. And maybe water? A boat? I can’t be sure. All I can see out of the window are the sky and trees. Red, I could be hallucinating. This is all so strange.”

“That’s okay. Now what do you see, Lizzie?”

“The room is empty.”

“Yes, but tell me what the emptiness looks like. Materials, colors, size.”

“Okay...the sheets are soft. High thread count. There’s a large window, with lace curtains. A breeze comes in sometimes. The walls are painted a pale blue, and there’s detailed molding. The bed looks expensive - and heavy. The room is large - it should have more furniture in it. Red, I’m some place large. And expensive.”

“Now tell me what you’ve heard from the people. Is Anabel the only person you’ve had contact with?”

“Red, I have to go - but I need to tell you - the baby - “

Silence.

“Lizzie? Lizzie!” Red looked at the phone. The line had gone dead.

“Dembe!” Red yelled. Dembe came back outside.

“Dembe, we’re going to Colombia. Please begin packing. We leave in five hours.”

 

Dembe packed while Red made travel arrangements and plans. Mr. Kaplan had come to get an update on affairs so that she could run things while Red went after Lizzie and the baby.

“I don’t like the lack of planning, Raymond,” she said quietly. She knew she couldn’t talk him out of going- and she wouldn’t want to, either, but she also wanted him to take just one more day or two to get a better feel for the situation.

“I don’t either, Kate, but I have no choice. I can’t allow Lizzie or my...or the baby...to suffer because of me.”

Mr. Kaplan placed her hand gently on his, causing him to pause and look up. “It’s okay to call the baby yours, dearie.”

Red looked at her for a minute. “I haven’t heard it from Lizzie yet. And even so - even if I do - I can’t be a father.”

“You were once.”

“And we all know how that ended,” Red said coldly, turning away from her and back to the business at hand. The death of Red’s wife and daughter were never more than an inch or two from his thoughts, and the idea that another child was on its way brought back the old pain like nothing else ever had. He could barely stand, and the urgency of saving Lizzie and her baby were the only things keeping him upright.

Mr. Kaplan watched him, feeling his pain, but knowing that if he were going to find a way out of his hole - his darkness - he was going to have to do it himself. And most likely, the only help he needed - the only help he could take - would come from Lizzie.

 

Later, on the plane, Red went over the details for the fifth time with Dembe, who patiently listened as if he were hearing things for the first time. He knew that Red needed to keep busy in order not to break down, so if it meant listening to plans on repeat for the duration of the flight, it was the least Dembe could do for his dearest friend.

“I’ve made contact with Miguel. He’s going to guide us from the city, through the jungle and river passages, to the compound. It’s not going to be easy going, and it may take several weeks.”

“I understand,” Dembe said. “You know I’ll go anywhere for you, Raymond.”

Red paused, looking at Dembe, fully appreciating the beautiful bond that the two of them had formed over the years.

“Dembe, there is every likelihood that I will not be returning from this trip. If I’m right, I need you to promise me that -”

“Raymond, you know you don’t need a promise from me. But let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. I plan on our friendship continuing for many years.”

Red smiled at him.

“At the very least then, I want to discuss Lizzie’s medical care. It will take us a least a week to reach her, if not longer. We can’t go in head on - we’ll be too exposed - and we can’t get dropped any closer to the compound because he’ll be watching for that. I want to surprise him.”

Dembe nodded.

“Unfortunately,” Red continued, “this means that if we are able to get her out of there, she’ll be very close to her due date. I’m not taking any chances with her health, or the baby’s. We’ll need a fully operational medical facility as well as impenetrable security.”

After they discussed the details surrounding Lizzie’s safety and medical care, Red told Dembe to take a nap. He’d need all the strength possible when they were trekking through the jungle.

As Dembe dozed, Red’s mind was finally able to contemplate the revelations of the past day. Lizzie was, in fact, carrying his child. As the thought initially crossed his mind, a joy swelled inside him that he never imagined he’d feel again. A beautiful woman, carrying his beautiful child. What would it look like? Would it have Lizzie’s blue eyes? Would it be loving, smart, and brave? All the qualities he admired in Lizzie? He could see her now, rocking the child in the chair he’d given her as a baby gift. He imagined them at holidays, eating together, laughing together, dancing together. It was everything his life had been missing for so long…

But of course, these thoughts couldn’t stay long without the painful comparison to his previous life. It felt like ages ago...lives ago...that he was married, making the same plans, indulging the same dreams. And a few years after that, everything was lost.

And here Raymond Reddington found himself, again with his life bringing peril to those he loved more than anything else. How could he have been so careless? How could he not have protected Lizzie better? How could he live with himself, knowing that this baby would always be looking over its shoulder because of its father?

By saving their lives, he thought. If he couldn’t get them out of there, he was going turn himself over to Carlos, no matter what the consequences might be. That’s how he was going to live with himself, even if his life lasted only another few weeks.


	12. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red's journey takes longer than expected. Lizzie is introduced to Carlos Gaona.

It took Red much longer to make his way to Lizzie than he’d expected, and with each day, his fears grew. What if she went into labor early? Would Gaona have the right care for her? Would the baby survive? And even if the baby was okay, would Lizzie be? What if he didn’t keep her there, as he said he would? The alternative was too much for him to bear...his Lizzie, now mother to his child, working as a….

Red broke away from the group, ran deeper into the forest. He vomited. The thought of her working in a whore house brought him to his knees. He’d give anything, do anything, sacrifice all of himself, in order to prevent that.

“Raymond?” Dembe asked when Red returned.

“Just needed to relieve myself. No need to worry, Dembe,” he said as cheerfully as possible, though Dembe knew better.

“Raymond, you have to believe Elizabeth is okay. The baby is okay. She is strong and resourceful. She will fight even harder now for the baby.”

Red looked at Dembe and nodded.

 

Lizzie herself grew more and more worried each day. It had been over three weeks since she had spoken with Red on the phone, and she knew the baby would be coming any day now. What would Gaona do with her - with the baby? - when she delivered.

He’d only been to visit her once, about a week ago. She shivered, remembering the encounter.

Carlos Gaona entered the room without knocking, making it clear he owned this place and everything - everyone - within it.

“Elizabeth! Good morning! And how are we feeling today?”

“Well, and you? I don’t think we’ve met,” she said dryly.

“Where are my manners? Senor Carlos Gaona,” he said, bowing and kissing her hand. She yanked it back out of his grasp.

“Why don’t we cut the crap. What do you want?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“I assume you want my baby, but why go to all this trouble? Surely there are a million children in Colombia in need of a good home.”

“True, there are many needy children. And I help them, Senora Keen, I do. I provide tuition and fees for them, give them food, build hospitals for them. But none of them have seemed the right fit to carry on my family name. That is, until I heard about your little bundle of joy.”

“So you just desperately wanted a baby that belonged to a United States FBI agent?”

“I’m sure you’re a lovely woman, senora, but I’m much more interested in the baby’s paternal origins.”

“My baby has no father.”

“Now, now, surely you don’t think I am so ignorant as to not understand the birds and the bees? I did very well in biology and anatomy. No, no, your baby has a father. You just would like to keep it a secret from the world.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Is that so? You mean to tell me that if I tested your baby’s DNA, I wouldn’t discover that one...Raymond Reddington...is the father?” Carlos was loving the effect that his dramatic pauses had on Lizzie.

“How the hell did you -”

“Oh, it was quite easy. Rumors have been circulating for some time now that Senor Reddington had a lady friend whom he was quite fond of. I had a little...surveillance...of my own done, and from what I can tell, you’ve only spent the night with one man in the past nine months. Am I missing anything?”

Lizzie looked away from him.

“Who would be better suited to run my organization when I enter into my old age? Why, the cunning, the ruthlessness, the genius that Red’s genetics and my child rearing will imbue on this child will make it the strongest leader this world has known!” His quiet, sinister laugh made Lizzie’s skin crawl.

“You look so worried! Don’t fear; I will provide the finest life for this child. The best nannies and tutors. This child will lead a charmed life.”

“No, this child we lead a life with me - charmed or not.”

“I’m afraid this one is out of your control. My dear, you can’t even get out of this bed on your own,” he said laughing, gesturing to her chains. “Besides, a year from now - or maybe sooner, depending on how you behave - you will become one of my employees. I have this lovely little...house...down in the village, where the women are quite charming and very popular with the men. You’ll fit in quite nicely.”

Lizzie felt sick.

“There is one way out of this, though,” he continued.

“What is that?” Lizzie asked warily. She knew there was little she could trust about this man.

“Well, I contacted your boyfriend a few weeks ago, to let him know I had you...and his baby.”

Lizzie’s head shot up, looking straight at the man with all the hatred inside her shooting out through her eyes.

“You told him that. Exactly that?”

“In a way, yes. I didn’t speak with him directly, of course, but he knows the baby is his.”

“You son of a bitch.”

Gaona laughed.

“I did you a favor! I simply told Reddington that I was willing to make a trade.”

“What trade.” Lizzie’s voice was low and full of hate.

“His life, for you and your baby’s futures.”

Lizzie’s eyes filled with tears.

“What are you crying for? Do you not think that your precious Red loves you enough to do this? To sacrifice himself for you?”

“I know he does,” Lizzie said, her voice almost a whisper. She knew Red would sacrifice his life for hers - he’d proven it a thousand times over. And now that he knew about the baby, she was even more certain of this. And it broke her heart. How could she exist in a world where he didn’t?


	13. News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie has almost given up hope of rescue when the tables suddenly turn.

Just days from her due date, Lizzie tried to relax in her bedroom. Of course, by this point it felt more like a prison cell. If she never saw that shade of blue again, it would be too soon, and the sound of the birds felt more like taunting than magic. Even the breeze seemed to mock her, giving her a taste of the outdoors without truly letting her experience it.

Lizzie had had false contractions once, and it at least proved to her that the medical Gaona had procured for her and the baby were impeccable. Medical care, however, didn’t prove that he had good intentions. She could take whatever he dished out to her, but she couldn’t bare the thought of her baby growing up in this place, with Gaona’s influence everywhere.

She’d thought she was doing the right thing, hiding the paternity from Red, but maybe if she’d told him, she wouldn’t be in this place. Maybe he would’ve moved them somewhere far away, beyond the reach of even the FBI, and they could have lived as a little family…

Of course, there was her other fear. That if she’d told him, he would’ve abandoned her completely. He’d lost one family already, and she didn’t know if he’d stick around and risk losing a second.

Was that why he hadn’t come for her? He knew by now - or at least strongly suspected - that the baby was his. If he wanted this life with her, he would’ve been here. He was Raymond Reddington - he was capable of getting into any location, no matter how heavily it was guarded. He’d always said that no matter what was going on, he’d be there for her if she was ever in need. The only thing she could imagine keeping him away was the baby - the threat of becoming a father again.

She felt lonelier than ever, and single tear escaped and made its way down her cheek.

She wiped the tear away and shook her head. If this was how things were going to be, then she’d have to find a way to survive on her own. She was the only hope this baby had, and she wasn’t going to let it down. Even if she had to play nice for a year, she’d find a way to escape. She’d become close friends with Anabel, and thought that if she just let this friendship grow, maybe she’d help her....

Anabel entered the room then. She went about her duties, though she was a little quieter than usual. Her eyes shifted quickly around the room, and Lizzie thought she looked nervous.

“Anabel, are my readings okay? You look concerned.”

“No, no, Elizabeth, you and the baby are just fine,” she said, trying to smile.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

Anabel put down her instruments and checked to make sure the door was closed all the way.

“Elizabeth, Senor Gaona is away on business for a few days, and there are rumors in the house that some men are out there,” she pointed to the thick forest that Lizzie knew must be just beyond the borders of the property.

“Gaona’s enemies?”

“Of a sort…” she said. She looked as though she were thinking - deciding - on whether or not to continue to speak.

“What is it Anabel? Please tell me?”

“There’s a man - a white man - out there with maybe 15 others. They say he’s American. Elizabeth, if he comes here, I don’t know what will happen.”

“An American?” Lizzie’s heart raced.

“Yes. They’re not sure what he wants, but if he wants something here, he’ll be here soon. He’s not far away.”

“He’s coming for me. Anabel, I need you to listen. I know I told you my baby didn’t have a father, but it was because I didn’t want there to be a father. The truth is, the father is an American man named Raymond Reddington. I made a mistake, hiding the truth, and now he’s come to help me. Gaona hates him, and he’s using me and the baby to lure him here.”

Anabel shook her head sadly. “I’m so sorry, Elizabeth. I hate the role that I’ve played in this. I just needed the money so badly, and I had no idea we would...become friends.” Anabel looked on the verge of tears herself.

“Don’t apologize. You were doing what you had to do for your children. I understand that now better than I have have. But Anabel, there’s a way you can help me - you can help me fix all this.”

Anabel stepped closer to Lizzie and sat on the bed with her.

“When he comes here, Anabel, bring him to me. He can get me out of here. But you have to be careful - Gaona made the condition that he’d only let me and the baby go if Red traded his life for our freedom. No matter what, you cannot let Gaona have Red.”

Anabel nodded, and the two began thinking of a plan to get Red to Lizzie, and the two of them safely out of there.

 

When Red, Dembe, and the rest of their party approached the compound walls, it was surprisingly quiet. Gaona’s car - large, and flashy - was not parked as it usually was in front, and the guards that should have been walking the perimeter were either passed out drunk in the sun surrounded by empty beer bottles or inside the guest house, enjoying the cooler temperatures and the satellite television.

Red and Dembe were to enter the house, while the rest were to secure the guards. It had to be done quietly. Red wasn’t sure how many more men were on the premises.

As Red and Dembe crept cautiously across the lawn, they saw a woman picking herbs from a small garden beside the kitchen. Slowly, she stood up, looked around, and motioned to them.

Red and Dembe exchanged glances.

She continued to motion to them to follow her, and then silently pointed to the window above her on the second level.

Red and Dembe were still confused. Did she mean there were guards there? Gaona?

Frustrated, she shook her head. Then, she stood so her profile faced them and made her arms and hands mimic the shape of an enlarged belly.

The two immediately understood - Lizzie was there. Upstairs. Just a few feet away. They took off running toward the woman, while they could hear the struggles of the other men as they overpowered the security guards.

“This way, Mr. Reddington.”

Lizzie had told her about him. He let the thought strengthen him as he and Dembe took the stairs two at a time.

When they reached the door to Lizzie’s room, however, Red stopped dead in his tracks, and felt his blood turn to ice in his veins. Gaona’s voice came from inside the room; he was in there with Lizzie.

“You said he wasn’t here.”

“I’m sorry, sir. He told me he would be gone,” Anabel said, panicking along with Red.

“Dembe - go get the others.”

With that, Reddington burst into the room with his gun drawn and aimed directly between Gaona’s eyes.


	14. Red vs. Gaona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red and Gaona face off.

Gaona slowly looked up and smiled at Reddington.

“Ah, Red, just in time to see your little bundle of joy welcomed into this world!” Gaona was standing next to a man Red could only presume to be a doctor. The doctor had a scalpel poised to above Lizzie’s bare abdomen. “I grew tired of waiting for you and decided to speed things up. In just a short while, you should be a proud papa.”

“Drop the scalpel.” The doctor froze. He looked from Red to Gaona, and back again.

“Do I take it you’re interested in a trade, Reddington?” Gaona said, turning back to Liz. He nodded at the doctor, who touched the scalpel gently to Lizzie’s skin. She was gagged, but Red could see her struggling to scream. She had more restraints on now than before and her arms were completely immobilized. Her legs, however, weren’t. She could’ve kicked Gaona, but she wasn’t. Red thought this was strange, but couldn’t let his mind wander.

“Gaona. Gaona! LOOK AT ME.” The deadly tone in Red’s voice caught the doctor’s and even Gaona’s attention. “If you don’t drop that scalpel, I’m going to put a bullet hole in between your eyes. You too,” he said, motioning toward the doctor.

“Is that a ‘yes’ then, Red? Or are you too much of a coward to trade your life for theirs?”

Red heard the all too familiar click of a gun behind his head. Rafael had entered the room quietly behind him. Red lowered his gun.

“It’s a yes,” he said. He could hear Lizzie’s screams quietly coming from behind the gag. His eyes became shiny and damp, and he smiled down at her, letting her know it was okay.

“It’s okay Lizzie...I’m okay. It’s more than a fair trade.” He gave her the same smile she remembered seeing when he came out of the box to save her from Anslo Garrick. She felt as if she would choke on her sobs. The stress was too great, and her heart monitor began to sound the alarm. Lizzie was no longer conscious.

Red and Gaona both rushed to her bedside, ordering the doctor at the same time to save her. As he began administering medicines to revive her, two gunshots fired. Red threw himself on top of Lizzie. Gaona hit the floor.

When Red looked up, Rafael was dead on the ground, Dembe standing over him. Behind Dembe were eight of the men who’d trekked with them through the jungle. After embracing Dembe and kissing him on both cheeks, Red reached for Dembe’s gun. Slowly, he walked to the other side of the bed, where Gaona remained, crouched on the floor. If Red didn’t know better, he would swear the man was shaking.

“For the record, it wasn’t me who betrayed Nicolas. It was Rafael.” Red shot Gaona. Twice, Once in the heart. Once between the eyes.

Red let his team take the doctor out. He wasn’t sure what his fate was, and at this point, he didn’t care. He quickly went to work untying Lizzie, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

She tried to speak loudly, but her voice came out a whisper. “The baby?” she said, her frail voice shaking.

“Right now, you are both okay. But we can’t stay here long. Can you get out of bed?”

“He gave me some sort of epidural...I can’t feel much.”

“Put your arms around my neck. I’ve got you,” he said. Lizzie wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as Red quickly and expertly lifted her out of the bed. Dembe offered to carry her, but Red refused. He wanted to be personally responsible for Lizzie’s safety from there on out.

Red, Dembe, and the team quickly made their way out of the house. They hotwired several of Gaona’s Jeeps.

“Anabel?” Lizzie asked weakly, waiting to be placed in the back seat with Red.

“She’s riding back there with some of the men. They’re going to pick up her children. I’m providing safe passage and new identities. They’re going to restart their lives in a place of their choosing, with enough money to keep them comfortable for a long time. It’s the least I could do for the woman who led me to you,” he said, his voice wavering. His eyes stayed straight ahead - he didn’t dare look at her for fear he would lose it all right there. He had to stay strong until they were safely away from this hell.

As Red settled himself and Lizzie in the backseat, she took comfort in his arms holding her tight. He still kept her draped across his lap - the most secure place she could imagine being right now.

As she looked at him, she noticed for the first time he’d lost some weight. His journey to her must have been much harder than he’d let on. His face was darkened in places with what looked like dirt or soot. Gone were his three piece suits, replaced instead by a thin white cotton button up. The sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbows. She’d almost forgotten how much she loved his forearms. And his shirt...unbuttoned just a little lower than might be normal. Lizzie had to admit, life in the humid climate certainly agreed with him. It brought out that rugged side of him that was always hiding just below his carefully tailored surface.

“Red...thank you,” she said, as she slipped off into the first peaceful sleep she’d had in ages.


	15. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz and Red welcome a new arrival.

After several hours of tense travel, Red and his group arrived at the small private hospital Red had chosen to care for Lizzie. She had her own private room and bathroom. The biggest perk of all, however, was the lack of chains.

As Lizzie was settled comfortably into her bed, she and Anabel said tearful goodbyes.

“I’ll miss you,” Lizzie said.

“And I will miss you. I wish the best for you and your new family,” Anabel said, looking sideways and smiling knowingly at Red, whose back was turned as he gazed out at the beautiful view from Lizzie’s room. The ocean.

After Anabel left, and Red thanked her, he settled into a chair next to Lizzie’s bed, holding her hand.

“Lizzie, I understand why you didn’t tell me. If nothing else, this entire situation illustrates just how dangerous it is to be involved with a man like me. You and the baby...the things that could have happened…” He hung his head.

“Yes...it was dangerous. But if I had just been honest with you, we could have been with you...couldn’t we? We’d be safe if we were just with you…” Lizzie trailed off, and her question hung in the air.

What she wanted - what she desperately needed - was for Red to say that if he’d known, he would’ve never let them out of his sight. And now that he knew, he’d never let them go again.

Instead, there was silence. Long silence.

“Red…please...look at me.”

His eyes, filled with so much sadness, caught Lizzie off guard.

“Lizzie, I had a family once. I never dreamed I’d be honored with one again. But just as much as it’s a blessing, it’s a curse. For you, for the baby, for me. I don’t know if I’m capable of being a father again...how can I love a child, raise it to be happy and healthy, when I am so damaged.”

“Red. You practically raised Dembe, and you’ve protected me better than even the FBI could. I know you’ve suffered so much loss - more than I could ever imagine. Or at least, more than I could before all this...but Red. You can do this. And no matter what, this baby is coming soon, and we can’t change that you’re the father. Ready or not, we need you more than ever. Please don’t leave us...please don’t leave us.”

Red got up and laid in bed next to her. Lizzie put her head on his shoulder and they wrapped their arms around each. They lay there, both crying tears of sadness and joy over their complicated, dangerous, beautiful situation.

 

Five days later, Red passed a cigar to Dembe and Mr. Kaplan.

“It’s a girl,” he said, beaming.

After finishing their smoke in peaceful, joyful silence, they entered the room with Red to see a glowing Lizzie cradling a tiny creature swaddled in pale pink.

“Dembe, Kate...meet Samantha Scott Reddington.”


End file.
